Alcohol

Alcohol is a depressant. It is carried through the bloodstream to the brain, stomach, internal organs, liver, kidneys, and muscles. Alcohol affects the central nervous system and brain.

Street names:

Booze, LQ, licks, 40, tonic, etc.

Did you know?

Studies show that a person who starts drinking before age 15 is four times more likely to develop alcoholism than someone who delays drinking until age 21.

Each year, about 5,000 people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking. Here is the breakdown:

1,900 deaths from motor vehicle accidents

1,600 homicides

300 suicides

Hundreds of alcohol-related deaths and injuries from drowning, falls and other accidents

Dangerous because:

People who are under the influence may take dangerous risks such as getting behind the wheel of a car, driving recklessly, picking a fight, having unprotected sex or doing something else they will regret.

Drinking too much can lead to alcohol poisoning, blacking out, and choking on one’s vomit.

Drinking too much decreases alertness, which can cause someone to ignore signs of alcohol poisoning in others or danger to themselves.